News NASA's Future: The News and Updates Thread

[Orbinaut Pete]

The US Air Force is trying a new AMR sccheduling strategy:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article...Trying+to+solve+the+rocket-launch+traffic+jam

Here's a Spaceflight Now article about that:

Spaceflight Now: "Air Force will streamline launch manifest strategy".

---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------

Space Politics: "Authorization bill discussion and more from Florida".

Florida Today: "Our views: Senate plan offers better roadmap in crafting NASA's future".

Florida Today: "Other views: Invest taxpayers' space money in US".

Florida Today: "Other views: Plan that keeps NASA strong critical".

---------- Post added at 11:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

Florida Today: "Sally Ride aims to inspire exploration".

 

[Star Voyager]

Florida Today: "Other views: Invest taxpayers' space money in US".

Florida Today: "Other views: Plan that keeps NASA strong critical".

This is my attempt at distinguishing between the two plans:

1. House plan: includes gov't built HLV, extends shuttle, plans to the Moon(?)

2. Senate plan: includes private companies flying cargo and/or astronauts to ISS, extending the shuttle, Orion as main gov't U.S. spacecraft

Please correct me if I'm wrong in any of these, please .

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

This is my attempt at distinguishing between the two plans:

1. House plan: includes gov't built HLV, extends shuttle, plans to the Moon(?)

2. Senate plan: includes private companies flying cargo and/or astronauts to ISS, extending the shuttle, Orion as main gov't U.S. spacecraft

Please correct me if I'm wrong in any of these, please .

Plan 1 gives an HLV but no spacecraft, Plan 2 gives a spacecraft but no HLV - so neither are any good!

 

[anemazoso]

It's also worthy to note that the House plan does not provide any money for R&D.

The Senate plan calls out for an HLV just at a lower funding level and adds one more shuttle launch as well.



---------- Post added at 08:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------

SpaceNews: Advocates Assess Legislative Setback for Commercial Space

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Wow, Wayne Hale doesn't waste any time! :blink:

SpaceRef: "N. Wayne Hale, Jr. Joins Special Aerospace Services".

---------- Post added at 10:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:09 PM ----------

collectSPACE: "NASA delays deciding where retired space shuttles will be displayed".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space Politics: "Commercial crew impatience, policy deliberations, and a commercial 'Thunder Bolt'".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Commerce Secretary to tour KSC labs, meet displaced workers".

 

[anemazoso]

NY Times: As Space Priorities Shift, Orbiting Station Takes On a Central Role

the chances of a [micrometeoroid] strike severe enough to require evacuation were about 1 in 100 over a six-month period. Over 10 years, the cumulative risk is nearly 1 in 5.

WOW! Thats like russian roulette!

Also I think it is important to note that Dragon is the only craft in the near term capable of down mass, SpaceX docs say it has a down mass capability of 2500 lbs I think. Soyuz, ATV, HTV, Progress and Cygnus don't/won't have that. Should be a no brainer.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Some updates:

Florida Today: "John Kelly: Astronauts weigh in on space".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Commerce Secretary to tour KSC labs, meet displaced workers".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Locke to meet with shuttle workers facing layoffs".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Locke lunches with KSC employees, tours lab facility".

Florida Today: "NASA task force talks about jobs at KSC meeting".

Florida Today: "Brevard County Schools bracing for space layoffs".

Florida Today: "Final homes for space shuttles Atlantis, Endeavour still up in air".

Aviation Week: "More Detail Sought On Commercial Crew Plan".

Huntsville Times: "Pentagon audit: Boeing violates federal account rules, may lose $271 million in government payments".

Bloomberg: "Boeing Should Lose $271 Million in Rocket Billings, Audit Says".

Space News Commentary: "I Never Imagined".

Orlando Sentinel: "Bill challenges NASA to evolve, mind budget".

The Space Review: "Parsing the policy".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Florida Today: "Commerce Secretary Locke pledges support for space shuttle workers".

WFTV: "Secretary Of Commerce Meets With NASA Workers".


NASA Watch: "Constellation Flight Test Office Budget Cut".


NASASpaceFlight: "NASA and Commercial industry combine to outline FTD Propellant Depot plan".

 

[anemazoso]

From the fuel depot study article.

A HLV – of any kind – is not listed in any current ULA or commercial documentation, with experts claiming such a vehicle isn’t required under the EELV and propellant depot architecture.

....

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aviation Week: "SpaceX Unveils Heavy-Lift Vehicle Plan".

 

[anemazoso]

For the transition from Earth to Mars, however, SpaceX believes nuclear thermal is the preferred propulsion means for the piloted aspect of the mission, while solar-electric power could be used to transport supplies.

Gotta love the way these guys think. And to me this is right on the money.

What really bothers me is how anyone (commenters on NASA WATCH or The Space Review in particular) could disparage SpaceX and Elon. If you are a true HFS enthusiast you have to recognise Elon and crew's desire to see some real exploration.



---------- Post added 08-06-10 at 06:12 AM ---------- Previous post was 08-05-10 at 04:17 PM ----------

NASA Watch: Senate Passes NASA Authorization Act

spaceflightnow.com: Senate Approves Bill Adding Extra Shuttle Flight


:hotcool::headbang::banana:

Now if we can only get those chumps in the lower house to comply with the Senate bill....

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SpaceRef: "Senate Approves Bill Championed by Senator Hutchison to Preserve America's Human Spaceflight Capabilities".

Space News: "U.S. Senate Passes NASA Authorization Bill".

Space Politics: "Senate approves NASA authorization bill".

Orlando Sentinel's "The Write Stuff" Blog: "Senate passes NASA "compromise" bill to build new rocketship".

Houston Chronicle's/Eric Berger's "SciGuy" Blog: "U.S. Senate passes NASA budget bill".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Senate Passes NASA Plan That Would Lessen KSC Job Losses".


Spaceflight Now: "Executives provide outlook on ATK's rocket business".


SpaceRef: "What is the Space Shuttle's True Legacy?"".


NASA Watch: "SpaceX Gives a Preview of Falcon X and XX".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Florida Today: "Senate passes NASA plan".

The Huntsville Times: "Senate passes its NASA plan before leaving on August recess".

Space Politics: "Griffin's view of NASA’s plans".


Some Lunar news:

NASA: "NASA Seeks Data from Innovative Lunar Demonstrations".

Parabolic Arc: "Astrobotic: We'll Sell Lunar Data to NASA".

---------- Post added 8th Aug 2010 at 12:17 AM ---------- Previous post was 7th Aug 2010 at 04:30 PM ----------

Orlando Sentinel: "Telescope promises new look at universe — if NASA can get it into space".

Parabolic Arc: "Canada Could Gain Substantially in New U.S. Exploration Focus".

 

[anemazoso]

Washington Post: What's mising from the bold plans for Human Spaceflight


This editorial is really lite. My response would be "What's missing from the bold plans for Human Spaceflight editorial?" ..... substance.

If a respected paper such as WP is going to tackle this subject they should devote a little more ink to it. It's not something you can sum up in 3-4 paragraphs.

 

[N_Molson]

Yeah, saying that Mars by 2025 is just too "ambitious" is a little too easy... They should at least try to give a few reasons why (other than "it's just too expensive").

 

[Urwumpe]

The following is from the a commenter on NASA Watch named "YoungEngineer" from the SpaceX article posted on NASA Watch.

The Marshall-1 engine design is not documented by NASA at all, it would be nice if he could provide a link to any NASA report about this engine.

Even if it would, there is no copyright on gas-generator cycle engines inside NASA. Those had been invented by ze germans (The A-4 is the first documented use of a pump-fed gas generator cycle engine). MSFC did design many theoretical gas-generator cycle engines in its history, but the actual hardware was designed by Rocketdyne. It is still pretty doubtful that the Merlin-1C engine of the Falcon 9 is based on NASA design... There is no other kerolox engine in the world that has the following traits, as far as I can tell:

• Gas-generator cycle.
• regenerative cooling by kerosene (pretty rare).
• kerosene from high-pressure pump tapped off for hydraulics (not very common)
• about 600 kN vacuum thrust.
• Tilting exhaust duct for roll control (common).

http://www.astronautix.com/engines/merlin1c.htm

And still: That the Merlin engine is no high-tech product is even desired by SpaceX. It is for cutting costs, why it uses a primitive technology that works with simpler testing.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Florida Today: "Space program an issue politically".

Florida Today: "John Kelly: Science put on the back burner".

 

[anemazoso]

Space News: Time to Reload in the Battle for the Frontier

An excellent commentary by Rick Tumlinson :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aviation Week: "Senate Adopts NASA Authorization Bill".

The Space Review: "Griffin's critique of NASA's new direction".

The Space Review: "Public interest in space, by the numbers".

Aviation Week: "SpaceX Unveils Ambitious Exploration Goals".